Dianne Sagan kindly gave me a review copy of her latest book, The Hybrid Author. Full disclosure: she used my article for IndieReader, "Why TraditionaDianne Sagan kindly gave me a review copy of her latest book, The Hybrid Author. Full disclosure: she used my article for IndieReader, "Why Traditionally Published Authors Are Going Indie," as part of her research.
The Hybrid Author is a great resource, and really digs deep into what the relatively new term means. According to Dianne, there are four ways to publish a book: traditionally, subsidy, self, and vanity (she also later explains that the term can be applied to freelancers who write articles, speeches, copy, and more). To writers not familiar with the industry or those who are just getting started, it’s helpful to know the differences. The book provides an overview of each, along with the pros and cons to consider when deciding which path to take.
It’s also helpful to hear other writers’ journeys, what they did, and what worked and didn’t work for them. Dianne devotes a whole chapter to her own experiences as an author who has self-published and had books published by traditional publishers.
But the most value in the book can be found in later chapters. In addition to providing interviews with successful hybrid authors, who freely share advice and insight, there is a chapter that details how agents fit in with hybrid authors. The chapter reads like a well thought out FAQ section, with questions and answers that are both pertinent and well researched.
There are some areas that repeats advice often found online shared among indie and hybrid authors. For example, it’s important to research material and thoroughly edit manuscripts. Dianne also lists questions every aspiring author should ask themselves when deciding whether or not to pursue a career in writing.
I do wish that this ebook took a little bit more advantage of the format. Dianne has obviously done some great research, and she includes many facts and examples to illustrate each chapter. However, as someone who likes to learn as much as she can about topics of interest, I wish there were more links or at least web URLs so I could click through and find out more about specific subjects and read the articles cited.
Dianne also lists a number of resources that cover various aspects of the publishing process, which is a good starting point for writers just getting into the industry but is not fully comprehensive. And at the end of the book are examples of a publishing contract and literary agent agreement. These types of contracts are hard to find on the Internet, and they can be very helpful for new writers who want to get familiar with what to expect.
Overall, The Hybrid Author is a great resource for new writers, writers looking to diversify how they publish, and anyone in general who wants to know more about the recent big changes in the publishing industry. There are a lot of options today for authors, and it’s important for writers to stay informed in order to make the best decisions for their works and their careers....more
Other reviewers have called The Author Training Manual a must-read, and I have to agree. Nina Amir has compiled a great amount of research, experienceOther reviewers have called The Author Training Manual a must-read, and I have to agree. Nina Amir has compiled a great amount of research, experience, and real-life samples that can help any other, self-published, traditionally published, or aspiring, to succeed.
The manual outlines nine steps that authors should take to achieve their goals. Some of the steps feel more obvious, such as figuring out the benefits of your book and why people will buy it, as well as structuring the content. But other steps can really help authors stand out from the crowd, such as writing out your intentions and sticking with your goals, determining how to make the best use of your time, and thoroughly researching your target market and topic. When writing book proposals, having done research is key to getting the attention of agents and publishers, but it’s not always clear to aspiring writers what information is important to mention. And for self-publishers, having a clear book proposal is the equivalent of having a business plan, which helps to outline budgets and strategy and takes a lot of the stress out of a book’s launch.
Though many of the steps seem to easily apply to nonfiction books, Nina often goes into detail on how to apply the plan to fiction books and memoirs, which makes the manual valuable to all types of writers. She also stresses getting an author attitude in order to have the best chance of success. She created an acronym, WOOT, for the four characteristics of an author attitude: willingness, optimism, objectivity, and tenacity.
Included in each step are lots of other resources and helpful books, as well as examples of Nina’s students who followed her advice and took their writing careers to the next level. Nina even specifies what changes she made to The Author Training Manual, both during the editing process and before the book was picked for publication.
Though it’s great to read through the manual, it’s also very valuable that writers can easily flip through to whatever step they may be on when working on their own book proposals. Nina includes a list of exercises for each step that breaks down what needs to be done, and makes the whole process feel very do-able.
Additionally, the book has four samples of book proposals and business plans with detailed feedback from agents and acquisition editors. For aspiring writers, these comments can really help show what people in the publishing industry are looking for. It can also help indie authors see how to create a clear plan.
I fully intend to use The Author Training Manual for my future books, at least as a business plan. Being able to work on small chunks at a time and have a concrete plan for book promotion and marketing will really save me time and money, and help me better know what works and what doesn’t. For all writers of book-length works, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Nina Amir’s The Author Training Manual....more
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